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What is Juneteenth?
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Juneteenth by Ralph Ellison
What is Juneteenth? Is it some sort of made-up holiday? No, Juneteenth is the celebration of the Emancipation Proclamation -- which outlaws slavery -- being spread to the slaves. The Emancipation Proclamation came into effect January 1, 1863, but many slaves didn't find out they were free until June 19, 1865 -- over two years since the Emancipation Proclamation became law and two months after General Lee's surrender of the Confederate army at Appomattox Court House.
Juneteenth is a world-wide holiday with celebrations held across the world. In Baltimore, there will be a commemorate event June 19th at 11 a.m. at Fort McHenry. Many books have been written about Juneteenth or with the holiday in its title.
Ralph Ellison, author of the Invisible Man, has a posthumously published novel Juneteenth. It is the story of a fictional 1950s racist white senator, Adam Sunraider, who is mortally wounded by an assassin during one of his inflammatory speeches. While on his death bed, he is ministered by Daddy Hickman, a black Baptist preacher and the man that raised Adam. The book then goes down a trip through memory lane, as the two reminisce of Adam's youthful days as Bliss, living in a Black community and being raised to become a minister by Daddy Hickman. It is an interesting look at race relations and how much our tolerance level is affected based on our experiences, upbringing, and inter-personal influences.
A list of other books, including children's books and picture books, about Juneteenth can be found from this search page on Amazon.com.
Event: Juneteenth Celebration
When: June 19th, 11 a.m.
Where: Fort McHenry
For more info: Visit the Juneteenth website at http://www.juneteenth.com/ and read a history of Juneteenth from the Electronic Village at http://www.elecvillage.com/juneteen.htm
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